


Rude Awakening

by Argleena



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: First Kiss, First Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, M/M, Slash, Sleepy princes, Tickle Fights, Tickling, lazy prince, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29660055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Argleena/pseuds/Argleena
Summary: Gladio and Noctis are good friends and comrades, but when Noctis oversleeps and misses a practice session with Gladio, he gets more than he bargains for.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia (background)
Kudos: 9





	Rude Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> This is an adaptation to a story I wrote for a LOTR My Slashy Valentine’s Day gift swap. I felt like this story would fit very well for Gladio and Noctis as well (although I usually prefer a Promtis or Gladnis or N/P/G/I grouping). Hope you enjoy my first FFXV fanfic.

Using all the stealth techniques he had mastered during his intense training since childhood, Gladio crept quietly into the apartment of the Prince of Lucis, managing to open the door without a single creak of the hinges. Walking with feather light steps as he approached, he quietly snuck through the living area and silently greeted a bright eyed Prompto who was seated on the sofa, looking to be deep into editing some photographs on his laptop. He looked as if he was recently fresh out of the shower, probably after awakening early for his daily morning run. It looked likely that he and Noctis had stayed up half the night having a video game marathon if the miscellaneous controllers, game cases and junk food wrappers on the floor had anything to say about it. That meant Noctis was most definitely still in bed. Gladio greeted the younger boy with a wave and smile full of mischief, which Prompto responded with an energetic wave and bright smile. Gladio’s business was not with Prompto today, however. He continued his covert expedition by turning toward the right and heading down the hallway towards Noctis’ bedroom, finger over his lips to indicate Prompto should keep quiet.

Gladio had known Noctis since the day he was born, being a couple years older himself. Gladio’s father, Clarus Amicitia, had played the role of shield to Noctis’ father Regis Lucis Caelum, the King of Lucis, since he was a young adult, therefore, Gladio inherited his role as Noctis’ protector, shield and trainer staring right from a young age. He spent his life dedicated in service to the crown and training his body to protect and shield Noctis from any perceivable danger. It was not always an easy task, as in the beginning of their relationship the two were constantly arguing and at each other’s throats. Eventually, after Noctis began to mature a bit and helped out Gladio’s younger sister Iris on one particular instance, Noctis and Gladio developed a strengthening bond of friendship and became strong comrades and deadly partners in fighting. Even when off duty Gladio chose to spend much of his free time with the young prince and his “entourage” which included Prompto Argentum, Noctis’ best (and only) friend from highschool and Ignis Scientia, Noctis’ advisor (and mother hen). Noctis had recently turned 18 a few months ago. While he was still a bit hesitant about his duties as a prince and future king, and a bit stunted emotionally, he had grown into a strong, handsome and intelligent young man. Gladio spent many hours on duty protecting and training the prince and many more in constant companionship with his small group of close friends. Over recent months he had noticed that while he and Noctis had been growing particularly close, Ignis and Prompto had been seemingly growing closer as well, many times hanging out even when Noctis, the center of their group, was not present. Gladio had questioned to himself a few times exactly what their relationship was. Despite all four individuals being very unique and different individuals, they were the closest of friends, 

Gladio was stealthily approaching Noctis’ bedroom as the two had agreed yesterday to meet at the practice fields shortly after breakfast today, in order to practice their hand-to-hand combat techniques. Gladio had waited in the training room for over an hour for Noctis, calling his cell phone several times with no answer before deciding to seek him out himself. While leaving the Citadel to search for the absent prince, he had bumped into Ignis, who informed him that he hadn't been able to pull the sleepy Prince out of bed for breakfast and hazarded to guess the young man was still in bed. Annoyed that Noctis had once again overslept and forgotten their plans, instead choosing to sleep in, Gladio decided to extract his revenge. Thus, he silently slid open Noctis’ bedroom door, after listening to be sure the lazy prince was not up and about and was still sleeping.

When Gladio entered the sleeping chambers, he found Noctis laid out on the bed, sound asleep under the blankets, all except his right leg and a tuft of stray dark hair peeking out from under the covers. As quiet as he could be, he crept toward Noctis. He had to be careful, because as Noctis had surprisingly sharp senses sometimes, even when sound asleep and it would not take much to wake him up. A small misdirected gust of air, the sound of a breath, or a tiny creek of the floor were all enough to wake the well trained prince. Gladio knew all of Noctis’s weakness, however, and he decided he would spare no mercy this morning. He would go for the unconscious Prince’s most vulnerable spot. As quick as a bolt of lightning, Gladio reached out and grabbed Noctis by the ankle and targeted his wiggling fingers at Noctis’ feet. 

Noctis shot straight up in his bed, but it was too late, Gladio had already begun his tickle attack on the young man’s feet. Half paralyzed by the maddening sensation, Noctis was unable to escape Gladio’s iron grasp and let out a loud shout of laughter. Noctis then began to struggle in vain to escape the torture being placed upon his sensitive feet, laughing hysterically with tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. This was torture, pure torture, to Noctis. Noctis could hold up in vicious battles, even when injured and could withhold secret information through enemy torture as a trained warrior, but tickle his feet for more than a few seconds and he would begin to break. 

Gladio continued his tickle assault as Noctis tried and tried to escape. He managed to break his ankle free from Gladio’s grasp only to be tackled by the heavily muscled shield and to have him aim for a new target, his ribs. Noctis struggled, and laughed, and cried for several minutes as he continued his fight to free himself. It was no use. Gladio was too strong and Noctis had been caught too off guard. Noctis had always been very sensitive to tickling, especially on his feet and ribs. He blamed it on his royal heritage. Noctis’ father and his father before him were all known to be particularly ticklish. This wasn’t fair because his three best friends weren’t even ticklish at all, and often used this method of torture against him. Anyone else he would have thrown in the dungeons. After several minutes of the tickle torture, which felt like hours to the tortured prince, Gladio let up when Noctis began shaking and gasping for air, completely worn down by the surprise attack.

When Noctis caught his breath, he exclaimed in utter dismay, “What was that for!?” 

“Weeell,” drawled a smirking Gladio, “I don’t much appreciate being ignored and forgotten about when I make plans with others.”

Noctis drew in a sharp gasp of air, throwing both hands flat over his face, suddenly remembering his plans of meeting Gladio for training. “Oh Gladio!” he cried out, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t intend to oversleep and skip our meeting! I was just so tired from the nonstop meetings yesterday and then having to rush around and help some new recruits until late last night. Then I was up late last night after that catching up with Prompto because he has been covering night shifts at his job for the past two weeks and I haven’t had any time to see him. I guess I was just so tired I overslept. I don’t even remember Ignis or Prompto trying to wake me this morning like they do every other morning.”

Gladio gave Noctis a reassuring and understanding smile. Although initially annoyed, he understood the hectic and sometimes overwhelming lifestyle of a prince more than most and he wasn’t truly upset. Plus, on top of everyday exhaustion, he knew the crystal’s power drained him even further, even if Noctis never mentioned that fact aloud. He knew the young man had been working himself hard, trying to take on more responsibility and help his father as well as helping try to whip the newest recruits into shape. There never seemed to be enough time or resources during these darkening times and training and meetings were continuous. Noctis still felt guilty about making the older man wait. Gladio was an important and well liked Crownsguard, whose attention was in constant demand from others, yet he always carved out time for Noctiseven outside of his duties. Although he did feel bad for making plans with Gladio and then skipping out on them, he recalled the brutal revenge Gladio just extracted and wanted his own vengeance. Noctis hated little more (besides maybe council meetings or MT’s) than being tickled. 

Quickly and without warning, Noctis was able to flip Gladio off from top of him where he had been pinning Noctis down to tickle him. Gladio may have much more experience with fighting than him, but Noctis was no weakling. His royal heritage and power from the crystal made him stronger than many (although Gladio was still larger than life), giving him an advantage when combined with his own surprise attack. The two began to playfully wrestle around on Noctis’s bed once again. This was nothing new to these two who were close friends and who often sparred together and got into friendly hand to hand combat sessions on the training ground. They were close friends and constant companions, and this was just one of the ways in which they bonded with each other, except today it felt a little different. There was something different clouding the air in Noctis’ bedroom, some new, seeping feeling brought to the surface.

Noctis had always found Gladio very attractive, along with 95% of the Lucian population. Gladio was a beautiful specimen of a man, who stood tall and strong with muscles heaped upon muscles. His long hair and giant eagle tattoo stretching across his back, arms, neck and shoulder made him look like a badass, a very handsome badass. Not only that, he was also an intelligent, brave and caring individual, as well as an inspiration to his fellow guard. Noctis had always been afraid to tell Gladio of his attraction to him as he didn’t want to spoil their friendship, which he treasured. Also, Gladio was such a legendary fighter in the Crownsguard, who had so many more years of wisdom and experience than him. Why would Gladio want such a young and inexperienced lazy prince that was actually somewhat insecure, when he could get almost any one he wanted, including nobility? Little did Noctis know, Gladio harbored similar feelings.

Gladio had always loved and cared for Noctis in some form since the day he was born and continued to care for him to this day, however, soon after Noctis reached his18th birthday, Gladio realized he was beginning to have deeper feelings for Noctis. There was something about the regal spark in Noctis’s eye whenever he was excited and the secret smile on his lips that he seemed to have just for Gladio and his friends that made Gladio’s head spin and heart flutter. Gladio realized he was falling in love with the young prince, but was hesitant to push for a romantic relationship as he didn’t want it to affect or destroy the close friendship he had developed with Noctis over the past several years. He also wondered what a young, beautiful and strong royal heir like Noctis would possibly see in a brutish, set in his ways, stubborn guard such as himself. Noctis was the son of the King of Lucis, a strong and brave warrior, and an exotically beautiful man.He could surely have almost any individual he desired. 

The two continued to play-wrestle around for several minutes until they grew tired. When they slowed to a stop, suddenly the mood shifted. Gladio had managed to get the upper hand and was leaning over Noctis who he had pinned down gently by his hands, on his back in the bed. Their eyes connected and they froze, face to face, struggling to push back their true feelings. Noctis, still being young and generally inexperienced, was not so successful in hiding his feelings fully and Gladio wondered at the look of love in Noctis’ eyes. “Could it be?” Gladio thought amazedly to himself.

Gladio, never one to be accused of being a coward, released Noctis’ wrist that he had been holding down to prevent the prince from escaping during their games earlier. He brought his hand slowly down to rest on the wide-eyed, young man’s jaw, running his thick, strong fingers gently across Noctis’s cheeks, jaw, then lips. Noctis gasped and raised a trembling hand up to Gladio as well. Clasping the shield’s cheek, he took a trembling breath. “Could it be?” he wondered nervously to himself. “Could it be that Gladio feels the same way as I do?” Slowly, Gladio brought his face closer to the man beneath him. Giving the young prince the time and space to pull away if he didn’t want or wasn’t ready for this, Gladio gently placed his lips gently against the Noctis’.

The kiss was ultimately very chaste, but both men’s hearts felt like they were pounding out of their chests. As Gladio drew away from the kiss, both just stared at each other in wonder. Noctis’s lips tingled and his head was abuzz. He had never felt this way from a kiss before. Gladio felt a warmth bloom in his chest he had never felt before either. Both men smiled at one another and looked adoringly into each other’s eyes. At that moment, they knew they had found their greatest happiness in one another.

Prompto had been listening to the commotion coming from his Noctis’ room and let out a chuckle at the thought of the surprise tickle attack that he could obviously tell Gladio blindsided his best friend with. After a while, the commotion had calmed down and there was silence. Wondering what they were up to now, he set his laptop aside and decided to check on the two and maybe offer their guest some tea. Prompto approached the room but froze in the doorway. There was Noctis and Gladio, engaging in kiss after passionate kiss. Slowly the look of shock transformed to a satisfied smile on Prompto’s face. He was happy for the two and glad to see that both had finally admitted their feelings to each other. Prompto could tell they had both been tamping down their attraction to each other for several years now and he hated seeing his closest friends suffer so trying to hide those feelings. He decided to allow the two some privacy for now and grabbed his things to go visit his own relatively new lover. Ignis would be elated to hear the news about his two dear friends coming together, while Prompto looked forward to garnering some kisses of his own.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed the story or have any constructive criticism, it is definitely motivation to write more in the future. It really does a lot to motivate myself and fellow writers to leave a review, comment or kudos!


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